Project profile — Regional Emergency Food Assistance in the Middle East - WFP 2019-2021

Humanitarian needs stemming from the crises in Syria and Iraq remain significant throughout the Middle East. Continued violence in Syria raises little prospects for the voluntary, safe, sustainable and dignified return of over 5.6 million refugees in the region. Internally displaced persons range in the millions in Syria and Iraq, and refugees facing protracted displacement in host countries continue to face acute humanitarian needs in Jordan and Lebanon. With the support of GAC and other donors, the World Food Program (WFP) is providing food assistance to more than 7 million people facing malnutrition and severe food insecurity in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The projectIn line with Grand Bargain commitments, GAC is providing flexible regional funding to WFP on a multiyear basis, for its emergency operations in the four countriesSyria, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. Regional funding provides WFP with the flexibility to allocate funds to acute humanitarian needs that are critically underfunded, and provides the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. WFP focuses on providing targeted food assistance to reduce acute malnutrition and food insecurity, and to protect livelihoods. As the global lead agency for logistics and emergency telecommunications, WFP also plays a major role in providing common services for the humanitarian community. It transports passengers undertaking humanitarian work, carries light cargo for humanitarian agencies, and carries out emergency medical and security evacuations. Project activities include: (1) distributing food; (2) supplementary feeding for children under the age of five years of age, as well as to pregnant and lactating women; (3) establishing emergency school feeding programs; (4) supplying vouchers and cash transfers for food; and (5) providing food for work. With the support of GAC and other donors, WFP is providing food assistance to more than 7 million people facing malnutrition and severe food insecurity in the four countries.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to food assistance for crisis-affected populations; (2) increased access to supplementary feeding for vulnerable groups, including children, and pregnant and lactating women; (3) increased enrolment and school attendance; (4) increased resilience of severely food-insecure communities against further shocks; (5) increased access for the humanitarian community to safe, reliable and efficient passenger air transport services; (6) improved access to the transportation of light cargo for humanitarian agencies; and (7) increased access to timely medical and security evacuation services. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved, suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises.

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